Pearson
Adult Learning Centre: Weekly Feature

We
all want to be able to read more effectively. Below are
some strategies to help you become a better reader in English. After
you have
read the seven strategies, read two news stories to try out your new
skills.

1.
Think Before You Read

Before
you begin, look over what you are going to read and
try to guess what it is going to be about.

2.
Find the General Topic of the Reading

Think
about what you already know about this topic. Are
there any pictures with the reading? Can you imagine something about
this topic
in your mind? As you read, compare the information in the text with
what you
already know.

3.
Think about Your Purpose in Reading

Use
your purpose to decide if the information you are
reading is useful. Do you need to read more? Do you need to change the
way you
are reading?

4.
Don’t Worry about Understanding the Exact Meaning of
Every Word

Try
to get the general idea of the meaning. Keep reading
through the text. Don’t stop to look up words in the dictionary. Later,
think
again about these words and ask yourself if you understand the meaning
better
after reading the whole text.

5.
Read a
Passage
More Than Once

Each
time you read, look for more information and try to
understand the text more clearly.

6.
Ask
Questions as
You Read

Ask
questions of the author as you are reading.

7.
Read As Much As You Can

Try
reading books, newspapers or magazines. The important
thing is to find something you are interested in. Read whenever you
can. Don’t
worry about understanding every word-concentrate on main ideas. Keep
reading
and reading and reading!

Why
not read these short stories and answer the questions
while trying out some of these reading strategies? You, too, can become
a
better reader. Good luck!